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Federation of Small Businesses Joins Forces with Young Enterprise and Liverpool John Moores University

Students challenged with starting a business in 50 days to learn from industry experts at FSB Small Business Summit 2014

Summer Start-Up Challenge from Liverpool John Moores University and Young Enterprise is running during the International Festival for Business.

Where else would you get business diversity including a public auction website, an outdoor adventure and personal training venture, a grave service, a publishing venture with the aim of promoting poetry and prose among writers and schools, and a promotions company focusing on student nights around Liverpool?

Students taking part in The Summer Start-Up Challenge run by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) as part of the International Festival for Business are to learn from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts at the FSB’s Small Business Summit 2014.

The 18 student entrepreneurs, tasked with setting up their own business during the 50-day festival, have already completed a series of induction sessions, covering a range of areas including business planning, marketing and PR, networking, finance, business technology and business law.

They have also been allocated their own business mentor and are developing their businesses, products and services with the support of LJMU’s World of Work Careers Centre, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Open Labs, in addition to Young Enterprise – which is the FSB’s official National Chairman’s charity.

The students have been invited to attend the FSB’s Small Business Summit on Thursday, 3 July, which is to take place at the university’s Redmonds Building, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool.

The summit will feature the Prime Minister’s Enterprise Adviser, Lord Young, as a keynote speaker alongside Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, Crispin Simon, UKTI’s Managing Director of Trade and FSB National Chairman John Allan. The day is to be hosted by FSB member Mike Southon, entrepreneur and author of the bestselling ‘The Beermat Entrepreneur.’

It will bring into focus the key barriers facing small business growth and provide information, advice and support to help delegates find solutions to their most pressing problems.

The morning is to close with a question and answer panel session with the BBC’s Maxine Mawhinney, former Mail on Sunday Economics Editor Dan Atkinson and the FSB’s Chairman of Local Government Policy, Martin McTague, among the panellists.

In the afternoon delegates will choose from a series of practical workshops and expert panels under the themes of ‘sales and marketing’, ‘finance and funding, ‘business growth’ and ’employment, training and skills.’ In light of the IFB’s focus on driving UK exports, international trade will be a main theme throughout the summit.

FSB National Chairman, John Allan, said: “The Summer Start-Up Programme students represent the future of entrepreneurship and the 50-day challenge is a great way of showing that, with the right information, guidance and support, while certainly not easy starting and running a business is more than achievable. Providing solutions to business problems what our Small Business Summit is all about and we are delighted these young entrepreneurs will be able to benefit from it during the International Festival for Business.”

Terry Dray, LJMU’s Director of Graduate Advancement and Employer Engagement, said: “Seeing the enthusiasm and commitment of the students involved in our Summer Start Up Challenge is fantastic. Each and every one of the participants has taken so much from the expertise and experiences provided by the business mentors already.”

Andy Firr, Undergraduate Start-Up Manager at Young Enterprise, said: “It was our pleasure to be involved with the project and the feedback from the business mentors was that they were absolutely delighted to work with LJMU students who were a credit to the University. The students came with enthusiasm, ideas and good humour and I think this was really felt by all.”

The 2014 summit, at which LJMU is also carrying out research into the recruitment of graduates in small businesses, follows the Federation’s first-ever Small Business Summit in October 2013. People can register for FREE here.